Jayden Daniels injury update: Dan Quinn announces major change in status of Commanders QB

Marcus Mariota spent the last two weeks as the Washington Commanders’ starting quarterback. Jayden Daniels watched from the sideline due to an injury, something he experienced for the first time in his career. However, Wednesday brought positive news about the second-year quarterback.

“Jayden Daniels has been medically cleared by the doctors and will practice fully today, per HC Dan Quinn,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said via X.

Washington is set to make a cross-country flight on Saturday for a big matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. A game we do not see often, Daniels appears to be on track to go head-to-head vs. Justin Herbert. Both teams are fresh off a loss as well, adding to the intrigue.

Daniels looked like one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks as a rookie, continuing the success through two games in 2025. Against the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants, he threw for 433 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. The run game, as usual, is a big part of Daniels’ game too, adding 85 yards on 18 carries.

In fact, Daniels never wanted to step off the field. He recently admitted there was a desire to play against the Raiders, a game the Commanders wound up winning. But the team felt the need to hold Daniels out and get back to full health.

“Obviously, as a competitor, you want to go out there and help your team in any way possible,” Daniels said. “So being sidelined for this past couple of weeks were super tough. I felt like I could go two weeks ago, but I don’t make those calls.”

Washington might currently carry a 2-2 overall record but they sit in second place in the NFC East. A division game is coming up on the calendar, heading to the Lone Star State to play the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 19. Kickoff from AT&T Stadium is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT.

Obviously, the goal is to have Daniels available for every game moving forward. Quinn acknowledges there is still some learning to do when it comes to running in the open.

“The only thing worse than missing games is not taking lessons,” Quinn said. “[On] scrambles, when do I get down? When do I go out of bounds? Jayden is still growing. That’s the fun and exciting part. He’s not anywhere near the top of what he’s going to be, so that lights me up.”